


Like a Cat

by xiuminlover666



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: AU, Friends to Lovers, Halloween, M/M, No smut but implied sexual content, Oneshot, Romance, Suggestive Themes, Yep that's it, also title is based on the song bc that song claps, minseok is flirty bc he's the biggest thot in exo, thigh high socks and chokers and cat ears, this is the product of six months of thirsting over minseok in knee high socks i'm so sorry, this is very self-indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-03 18:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17289332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiuminlover666/pseuds/xiuminlover666
Summary: Minseok has no intention of going to the annual company Halloween party until Jongdae convinces him with the prospect of matching cat costumes. He can't say no to that because it'll be the perfect opportunity to convey his long-time feelings to him. He mistakenly trusts Baekhyun to find his costume but he instead produces something completely unexpected.





	Like a Cat

 “Are you coming to the party?”  
 “Maybe – “

Chanyeol’s loud protestations about why everyone should attend the company’s annual Halloween party carried over to Minseok at his desk and he sank in his chair. Every year Chanyeol and Baekhyun would traipse around the office and interrogate people about whether or not they were attending the party. It was held in very high regard, even more than their actual work, and it was Chanyeol’s mission to win the prize for best-dressed every year.

And every year when the pair made their inquisition-style rounds of the office, Minseok had a hiding place, usually in the storeroom or wherever Jongdae happened to be hiding. But this year Jongdae had betrayed him because he was absent from his desk. Minseok glared at the neighbouring desk with a sense of annoyed panic because Baekhyun and Chanyeol were moving closer towards him. It wasn’t that Minseok hated Halloween; he just hated loud and crowded parties. There was always an alarming amount of sponsored alcohol and far too many people for his liking. But Minseok wasn’t oblivious to his real reasoning for bunking the parties because knew wholeheartedly that he preferred to spend Halloween with Jongdae watching horror movies just like they had done for ages. He refused to let a party get in the way of his happy tradition.

Thinking of Jongdae made Minseok fall into a light day-dream about the possibly romantic Halloween they could spend together on his couch with only a bowl of snacks between them. Jongdae was very determined to watch the Grudge films even though Minseok could barely stand to look at the poster. He decided weeks ago, though, that he just had to sacrifice himself and watch the movies with Jongdae because it would give him an excuse to sit close beside him.  Minseok imagined it playing on the television, the horrific imagery flashing in the darkness of his lounge, and at every terrifying scene he would bury his face in Jongdae’s shoulder. Perhaps they could even cling onto each other for comfort.

Then, involuntarily, his mind conjured the image of Jongdae leaning over to kiss him on his own sofa and the sound of Chanyeol’s booming laughter brought Minseok out of his reverie and he realised just how hot his face felt. He cursed himself under his breath and immediately darted beneath his desk before Baekhyun could turn around to see him.

He hated the random intrusive thoughts he got concerning Jongdae because once they appeared it was impossible to hide the reaction on his face. It was a well-known secret in the office that Minseok had a debilitating crush on Jongdae but he had apparently never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and even their supervisor Junmyeon had been trying to force them together for ages, but when it came down to it, Jongdae was just rather stupid and Minseok was too apprehensive. Whenever they spent time together, which happened frequently, Minseok was acutely aware of every time they hugged or touched or sat closely together. Jongdae had fallen sleep on him numerous times halfway through a movie and it took a lot of self-control for Minseok to not freak out and push him away.

As much as Minseok liked Jongdae, he hated how bashful he felt around him. They had been friends for years but upon discovering his newfound feelings he had quickly transformed into an awkward babbling mess. He groaned and berated himself as he thought back on his past behaviour and every awkward moment. Before he caught feelings for Jongdae he had been what Junmyeon referred to as ‘an insufferable flirt’ and he knew it was true. He could make just about anyone weak in the knees with a charming smile and a tilt of his head. Where was all of that confidence when he was with Jongdae? He could hardly control his heartbeat whenever they touched. Jongdae wasn’t too affectionate, but whenever he threw an arm around Minseok or took a hold of his hand in the midst of a passionate discussion it made Minseok falter hopelessly.

 “Minseok?”

The sound of Jongdae’s voice made Minseok jump and he hit his head on the underside of his desk. He hastily crawled out from beneath the desk to find Jongdae standing there holding two cups of coffee from the café down the street.

 “There you are!” Jongdae said cheerfully and he grinned down at Minseok. The sight made him smile because from such an angle it made the curls of his lips more pronounced, but his joy was short-lived when Baekhyun and Chanyeol materialised out of nowhere.  
 “There you are!” they chorused in mimicry of Jongdae. A familiar smirk crept onto Baekhyun’s face and it was a look that Minseok associated with ominous dread.  
 “On your hands and knees, as always,” he added with a snicker.

Minseok realised that he was indeed on his hands and knees, right in front of Jongdae, and his flush returned with a vengeance. He scrambled to his feet while Chanyeol guffawed and slapped Baekhyun on the back in an expression of his amusement. To Minseok’s satisfaction the impact nearly knocked him over and the commotion was enough to distract Jongdae from Baekhyun’s comment.

 “Are you here to pester us about the party?” Minseok said bluntly before taking his coffee from Jongdae. He sipped it and barely managed to repress a smile of satisfaction because Jongdae always got him the best Americanos in the city. Baekhyun rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips in an attempt to look serious.  
 “Come on, Minseok! You’ve never come to the party!” he whined.  
 “Everyone’s going to be there!” Chanyeol said as if that fact would easily persuade Minseok.  
 “That’s exactly why I never go,” Minseok said firmly. “So take your harassment elsewhere.”  
 “What about Jongdae?” Baekhyun said with a note of desperation in his voice as he knew he was losing. “You always steal him every time there’s a company party!”

Minseok felt his ears burn but he was able to channel his frustrations into a pointed frown.  
 “I do not _steal_ people,” he said indignantly while Jongdae laughed. “If Jongdae wanted to go then – “  
 “Why don’t we go this year, Minseok?” Jongdae said and Minseok nearly dropped his coffee on his shoes.  
 “W – what?” Minseok spluttered. “But you said you wanted to watch the Grudge!”  
 “I still want to!” Jongdae said defensively. “But I just want to see what’s so great about the party so we can finally say that we’ve been. We can go just for a short while.”  
Minseok was acutely aware of how Jongdae often spoke of the two of them as a seemingly inseparable pair, almost like a _couple_ , and he was slow in responding so Baekhyun took the opportunity to jump in.

 “The food is amazing, you know,” he said pointedly. “And it’s free.” The mention of free food piqued Minseok’s interest and it showed on his face. Jongdae smiled at him in a wily way and took a hold of his arm to get his attention.  
 “I know you can’t say no to free food,” he said in a teasing sing-song voice. Minseok sighed in defeat.  
 “Alright. But I don’t have a costume so I’ll go as myself – “  
 “WHAT? NO!”

Baekhyun’s scandalised shriek made Minseok wince. The other employees in the office turned around to stare at the group but none of them cared or noticed.  
 “If you don’t dress up you’re not allowed in!” Chanyeol said warningly. “This isn’t just some shabby party!”  
Minseok groaned and rolled his eyes.  
 “It’s in two days! Where must I find a costume at such short notice? I don’t even know what I’d go as – “  
 “We could go as cats!” Jongdae said brightly. The excitement between the three of Minseok’s friends was now palpable and it scared him slightly because now he knew that Jongdae did not have much intention of only staying at the party for a brief hour. Minseok was slightly alarmed at Jongdae’s newfound enthusiasm. The sight also made his heart flutter.  
 “Everyone always says we look like cats,” Jongdae said proudly. He was now just too endearing for Minseok so he really had no choice but to accept.  
 “You can wear cat onesies,” Baekhyun said happily. “They’re easy for lazy people like you.” He noticed the frown on Minseok’s face. “I’ll even get yours for you, Minseok!” he said quickly. Jongdae threw an arm around Minseok’s shoulders and grinned happily. Minseok forced himself to smile casually. He forced himself to stay calm because everything would be fine because he would still get to spend Halloween with Jongdae one way or another.

And he didn’t even have to worry about finding a costume because Baekhyun would do it for him.

* * *

“Baekhyun, what the hell is this?”

Minseok’s voice reverberated throughout the living room where he stood with Baekhyun, who looked very surprised at his outburst but Minseok really could not believe what he was seeing. Baekhyun had arrived only moments ago bragging about the brilliance of his own costume while giving Minseok the one he’d bought him. Minseok had expected to find a simple black and white cat onesie and nothing more. Instead Minseok had torn open the packet to discover a pair of white thigh high socks, trimmed with delicate pink ribbons, and a pink bowtie choker adorned with a little bell. The white cat ears fell out onto the floor rather lamely.

Baekhyun, while equally shocked at the costume, raised up his hands defensively as Minseok’s glare darkened.  
 “You said you wanted a cat costume!” he said. “I was in a rush because unlike _you_ I’ve been planning my costume for months. I didn’t have time to inspect this.”  
Minseok scowled at the memory of Baekhyun gloating about his homemade mummy costume for the past three months.  
 “It would have cost you zero time and effort to just look at the costume before you bought it,” Minseok argued, starting to grow irritated. The party was in less than an hour and he had no costume. “This is some kind of fetish cosplay thing! Where did you even buy this?”  
Baekhyun looked guilty for a moment and even took a step back when Minseok’s glare intensified.  
 “Don’t tell me it was that dodgy costume shop downtown? I’m surprised there isn’t a miniskirt in this.”  
 “Like I said, I was in a hurry,” Baekhyun said dismissively. “And you have to come to the party because Jongdae’s still going!”

The sudden mention of Jongdae made Minseok throw the socks and choker at Baekhyun with a resounding tinkle of the bell and his face flushed angrily.  
 “Are you insane?! I can’t wear this in front of Jongdae! Or anyone with eyes, for that matter! There aren’t even pants, Baekhyun!”

Much to his annoyance, Baekhyun seemed to be holding back laugher. Minseok lunged forward to try and hit him but he jumped out the way.  
 “I really didn’t know!” he yelled. “Just wear the ears and normal clothes and hurry up! I have to go get ready and it takes Chanyeol forever to wrap the bandages around me!”  
 “You’re the worst,” Minseok muttered. “Go, then. I’ll pick you up in forty minutes and if you’re not ready then I’m taking Chanyeol to go drinking.”  
 “Fantastic! See you soon!” Baekhyun chorused before escaping.

Baekhyun seemed eager to dart out the apartment and escape Minseok’s anger. He lived just down the street but he and Minseok often carpooled together to go to work. He knew that Chanyeol would never pass up any Halloween party, but unfortunately the very realistic Deadpool costume he’d ordered was being held by customs at the airport to inspect the fake weapons. Chanyeol was nothing short of devastated at missing the party but he was still glad to help his boyfriend with his own costume. Minseok grunted irritably and threw himself down on the sofa and crossed his arms. Now there was no hope of matching Jongdae’s costume and it was Baekhyun’s fault.

Minseok glanced at his watch anxiously and bit his lip. He did not have time to go searching for a costume at such short notice. He glanced at the pair of socks on the floor and the sudden thought of Jongdae seeing him in them invaded his mind.

 “Oh, God, no,” he groaned as he slapped his palm to his face. He really could not live with the intrusive thoughts anymore and he thought that no matter what, something had to happen between them that evening or else he would go insane. He only just realised how much importance he had been placing on the idea of them looking a cute couple and he cursed himself and shook his head.

He was honestly being stupid. It was just a silly Halloween party and nothing more. They would only stay for a short while and then come back to his place to watch the godforsaken movie and then hopefully confess what Minseok hoped was mutual feelings and then live happily ever after. Minseok gathered up the pieces of the poor excuse for a cat costume and marched to his bedroom to start getting ready. He took his time in the shower so that he could attempt a decent hairstyle to make up for his lack of proper costume. He’d recently gotten an undercut and styled his black hair with a neat side parting, allowing his bangs to fall just above his eyebrows. Minseok decided to try and go for a type of fancy tomcat concept so he chose to wear a purple silk shirt and fitted white dress pants. While searching for appropriate shoes the pink trim of the ribbons on the discarded socks caught his attention from his periphery.

He paused for a moment and approached the socks as though approaching a deadly snake. A sudden feeling of curiosity appeared in his mind but it startled him slightly. He’d never worn anything so ridiculous before, even just for the fun of it. He picked up the socks hesitantly and laughed at the thought of him wearing them. He’d probably look like a fool even if they fitted him. He had time, so he thought why not be a fool because his life was too serious anyway. He had to wait for Baekhyun to text him to say that he was ready anyway so he had time. Minseok sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the socks on his feet. He had never worn anything longer than knee high socks for sport so he struggled a bit in rolling them up past his knees midway up to his thighs. He was surprised to find that the pink ribbons were actually situated at the back of the socks and that the sheer material was surprisingly comfortable and smooth. He’d recently waxed his legs, a habit he’d adopted for exercise because it helped make him feel less sweaty, and the socks fitted his legs like a second skin.

He got up to stand in front of the full-length mirror inside his wardrobe and he laughed at his reflection, clad in nothing but his black briefs and the white socks. He reached for the choker, laughing all the while, and fastened it around his neck. Now he thought he looked a bit like a stripper and he grinned to himself in amusement. This was something that Sehun could do with a straight face and he would be surprised if he pitched up at the party wearing anything more than a pair of pants. Before Minseok could think about anything else his phone started ringing and he was surprised to see that it was Jongdae phoning him.

 “Hey, Jongdae,” he said as he answered, trying to keep the gladness in his voice to a minimum.  
 “Minseok, I’m so sorry to be a bother but my car won’t start!” He spoke very quickly and he sounded frantic. “Do you have jumper cables or something? I tried phoning Junmyeon but – “I can pick you up, Jongdae,” Minseok interjected, speaking on impulse before he could talk himself out of it. There was a pause on the other side.  
 “What? Are you sure? The party’s really soon…”

Jongdae lived a bit far from Minseok but he hardly considered that because he really just wanted to help him.  
 “I’ll leave now,” Minseok said quickly. “Then we can grab Baekhyun and head to the party though we might be a bit late.”  
 “I’m really sorry,” he said despondently.  
 “It’s nothing, Jongdae,” Minseok said dismissively. “I’ll see you now, bye!”

Jongdae said goodbye, thanked him profusely, and cut the call. Minseok only had seconds to get dressed and leave so he wasted no time and pulled on his white pants and found a pair of matching shoes. Only when he was hastily buttoning up the silk shirt did he realise that he was still wearing the thigh high socks. He only had a second to shrug it off because he didn’t have time to take of his shoes and pants and put on new socks. He shoved the cat ears onto his head before he grabbed his phone and keys and hurtled out the apartment.

He drove faster than usual but he did not mind pushing his own speed limit a bit for Jongdae’s sake. He practically skidded to a halt outside his apartment to see him already waiting outside, but when he saw his outfit he nearly swerved the car off the road. Instead of a cute cat onesie, Jongdae wore black skin-tight pants and a t-shirt so tight that it was a wonder it did not rip in half. He wore a pair of black cat ears and a little black bowtie around his neck and had even taken the time to draw black whiskers on each cheek and colour in the tip of his nose. Minseok got out the car and they stared at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing.

 “I couldn’t find a onesie anywhere!” Jongdae exclaimed, rushing forward to pull Minseok into a hug. “But you look so cute, Minseok!” he said as he held him by the shoulders to examine him. Minseok felt the heat creeping up his neck.  
 “Baekhyun was meant to find me one but he messed up. You look…you look like you can’t breathe,” he admitted. The clothing was tight enough to show off the months of work Jongdae had been putting in at the gym and it was a lot for Minseok to take in. Jongdae laughed and shook his head.  
 “It’s not that tight. But anyway let’s get going so that we’re not late,” he said. He walked past Minseok to go around to the passenger seat and in doing so he presented an incredible view of his backside. The pants were tight enough to show just about _everything_ and Minseok only realised he was staring when it disappeared from view as Jongdae climbed into the car. He berated himself for staring and quickly climbed into the driver’s seat, but now he started to question his own costume a bit. He didn’t have time to brood as Jongdae quickly initiated conversation and Minseok had to divide his attention between him and driving.

 “I feel sorry for Chanyeol,” Jongdae said earnestly. “Although I suppose it’s for the best because he always wins best costume every year.”  
 “I wonder if Baekhyun’s costume is as grand as he makes it out to be,” Minseok mused.  
 “I hope he has the sense to wrap all the bandages in such a way that he can still go to the bathroom,” Jongdae said and Minseok laughed. They joked about their friend’s idiocy until they arrived at his apartment.  
 “I’m sorry you had to fetch me and come all the way back here,” Jongdae said. Minseok shook his head.  
 “It’s really nothing, Jongdae. I’d do anything for you.”

He spoke without thinking and he felt his face grow hot. There was silence but Minseok did not wait for it to grow awkward as he threw himself out the car to fetch Baekhyun. He cursed himself with every step he took to his friend’s door and knocked with more force than intended. He was about to knock again when it was opened by Chanyeol, who had a piece of gauze wrapped haphazardly around his head and a look of utmost misery on his face.

 “Happy Halloween,” he said morosely. Minseok offered him a pitiful smile and patted his shoulder.  
 “There’s always next year, Chanyeol,” he said gently. “Where’s your dumb boyfriend?”  
 “Right here!”

Baekhyun waddled into the entranceway and Minseok shrieked in fright because for a moment he really thought that some monster had jumped out the shadows. Baekhyun was wrapped completely head to toe in a blend of bandages, gauze, and white material, but the small sliver of his face that was visible was completely covered in dark makeup that made it look as though he was a scowling corpse.

 “My makeup’s good, right? I watched this YouTube tutorial for hours,” he said proudly as he waddled forward. Chanyeol reached out an arm to steady him and only then did Minseok notice that his shoes were white sneakers and he raised an eyebrow.  
 “It took you three months to construct this?” he said. Baekhyun swore at him.  
 “Don’t be bitter because my costume is better,” he said loudly. “What are you, anyway?”  
 “He’s a cat! We match well, don’t we?”

Jongdae appeared out of nowhere and threw an arm around Minseok’s shoulders, pulling him very close and grinning all the while.  
 “Oh, very sexy, Jongdae,” Baekhyun said approvingly. “Minseok, you look like an anime cat boy.”  
Minseok flushed angrily while Chanyeol and Jongdae laughed and he suddenly regretted his costume. It was Halloween so of course everyone would be going for something sexy in some way. Even Baekhyun’s costume had a weird sense of sex appeal as his bandages outlined every contour of his body. Minseok would have preferred the cat onesie, though, because at least it was a complete costume. He was just wearing a pair of ears and a choker with an ordinary outfit and he felt foolish. Everyone at their company took Halloween extremely seriously, more seriously than their jobs, and he suddenly felt regretful.

As if Jongdae could somehow sense his displeasure he tightened his grip around his shoulders and swatted Baekhyun’s arm to shut him up.  
 “We’re just a couple of cats,” he argued.  
 “He doesn’t even have whiskers,” Chanyeol pointed out.  
 “You don’t even have a costume so you’re irrelevant, Chanyeol,” Jongdae retorted, making Minseok laugh and he felt a rush of affection for his friend. “Let’s go before we’re late.”  
Baekhyun turned to Chanyeol and pulled down the bandage over his mouth to press a kiss to his cheek.  
 “Don’t eat all the candy and don’t watch any horror movies,” he said sternly.  
 “Don’t drink,” Chanyeol said to him with a meaningful look. “You’re the designated driver, right?”  
 “Not in my car,” Minseok scoffed but Baekhyun ignored him and bade Chanyeol goodbye.

The car ride was rather noisy as Baekhyun insisted on playing party music to get them in the mood and he and Jongdae shouted along with the lyrics. That Minseok did not mind so much but when Jongdae occasionally touched his shoulder or leg while flailing his arm around it distracted him from driving. It was a wonder that they arrived at the venue without crashing and Minseok jumped out the car quickly.

As soon as they entered the building their colleagues descended upon them to inspect their costumes.  
 “Baekhyun this is amazing! Did you wrap yourself up?” Junmyeon asked in awe. He was dressed as a classy joker with expertly done makeup and even had a deck of playing cards in his pocket.  
 “Chanyeol did it,” Baekhyun said proudly. “Your fangs are great, guys!”  
Jongin and Sehun grinned happily, exposing their realistic vampire fangs. They made a great pair of vampires, complete with cloaks and a lot of fake blood.  
 “Now, I see that you two hardly put in the effort,” Junmyeon said with a disappointed look at Jongdae and Minseok. “You’re both getting fined for that.”  
 “What? We’re obviously cats!” Jongdae said indignantly over the music.

There was a common tradition in the office to fine everyone at parties – meaning that one had to take a lethal shot of punch to atone for any minor sins committed during the course of the year. Jongdae already had a startling number of fines filed against him.

 “Jongdae, you look like a stripper,” Sehun said bluntly and Minseok was surprised to see that Jongdae actually blushed. “And Minseok looks like himself.”  
 “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked defensively.  
 “You’ve always looked like a cute kitty,” Jongin said playfully and Baekhyun laughed at Minseok’s expression.  
 “I’m an adult!” he protested, making everyone burst out laughing.  
 “You’re adorable, Minseok, you need to accept it,” Jongdae said with a shrug. Minseok crossed his arms because now it annoyed him more coming from Jongdae.

 “At least you’re a couple,” Sehun said, and for a moment Minseok panicked and even Baekhyun’s eyes widened in alarm. “Rather be lame together than by yourselves,” Sehun continued without noticing anyone’s reactions.  
 “Whatever,” Jongdae huffed. “We only decided that we were coming two days ago anyway.”  
 “Only because you found out about the unlimited booze and food,” Junmyeon pointed out.

They carried on bantering and joking, but Minseok found it a bit difficult to join in because now he brooded about Jongdae. Did he really just see him as a cute baby-faced friend? Minseok had never felt this way with anyone else before – he used to be rather confident in his sex appeal in the past when he had a few casual flings. Perhaps he was being stupid because he knew that he was good-looking and he could pull any person in that room if he wanted to.

The party started with a small casual dinner and even though Minseok liked the food he did not really enjoy sitting there at the noisy table while feeling foolish. He tried to tell himself that it was just a party and that he was overthinking everything but it was difficult to do so. Every now and then he would glance at Jongdae’s bicep straining against the sleeve of his t-shirt and he berated himself for not wearing something similar. As they had been friends for so long they had seen each other in their underwear, but nothing more, and Minseok now worried about whether or not Jongdae had any interest in his body. If he had showed it off at the party then he would have been bound to notice but now it was too late for that.

After the dinner the real party began with a bout of drinking games and Minseok was momentarily distracted from his internal dilemma. He saw that Jongdae had no intention of leaving early and Minseok certainly wasn’t going to spoil his fun so he just forced himself to try and have some fun despite how loud and crowded the place was.

Then it turned to the fines event and both he and Jongdae were made to take three shots each for their poor costumes. Minseok felt the punch go straight to his head as he tipped back the shot glasses and now he really regretted not putting in more effort. Perhaps if he and Jongdae had matched then they would have been able to leave early. Right now he should be in his pyjamas with Jongdae on the sofa.

After that he somehow found himself having more drinks with Junmyeon, and then with Sehun, and it did not take long for Sehun to grow incredibly tipsy. Minseok gave all of Sehun’s drinks to Baekhyun rather absentmindedly in an effort to stop the boy from getting drunk but it was too late as he was already clinging around Minseok’s middle to steady himself while attempting to dance. Sehun was clingy enough while sober but when he was drunk he turned into a spider-monkey.

Minseok essentially danced with Sehun for a good while until Junmyeon appeared to relieve him.  
 “You should go help Baekhyun, I found him on the bathroom floor,” Junmyeon said with a worried look and Minseok groaned. Every company party usually ended with either Baekhyun or Sehun passed out somewhere. Minseok pushed his way past a crowd to search for the bathroom and he was surprised to crash into Jongdae. In the darkness he was nearly camouflaged by his black clothing and they stumbled over each other for a moment before Jongdae caught Minseok by the arms to steady him.

 “Oh – Minseok,” he said and there was a strange note in his voice and a look that Minseok couldn’t decipher crossed over his face.  
 “Are you okay?” he asked. Jongdae quickly pulled away from him and glanced away.  
 “Have you seen Baekhyun?” he asked. Minseok regarded his dismissiveness with a raised eyebrow.  
 “He’s passed out in the bathrooms,” he said and Jongdae accompanied him in search of the place.

As soon as they walked into the men’s bathrooms they found Baekhyun slumped against a wall in the corner, thankfully far away from the urinals. In the bright lights of the bathroom Jongdae’s body lines and contours were even more apparent beneath his tight clothing and it bothered Minseok immensely when he glanced at his own silly reflection.  
 “Baekhyun, are you okay?” Jongdae asked as he knelt down beside him and slapped his cheek. He stirred but did not wake up and Minseok sighed.  
 “He’s worse than Sehun,” he muttered. At mention of Sehun Jongdae glanced up and the strange look returned to his face.  
 “I’ve never seen you dance with him before,” he remarked. Minseok stared at him in confusion before a slow realisation dawned upon him.  
 “He was drunk,” he said quickly. “I – he was just really drunk.”

Minseok hardly knew what to say because if he was not mistaken Jongdae was actually slightly annoyed, _jealous_ , that Minseok had danced with Sehun. It had to be jealousy – there was no mistaking it. Minseok knew his friend well and he knew that look on his face now. He could have laughed at the situation but that would mean confessing his feelings right there and then in the bathroom. He stared at Jongdae for a moment while he poked and prodded at Baekhyun.

 “Jongdae…Jongdae I – “  
 “Stop that!” Baekhyun cried, suddenly coming back to life to worm away from Jongdae who had started to tickle his sides.  
 “Ah, you’re alive,” he said with a smirk. “Help me, Minseok.”

Annoyed at being interrupted, Minseok did not bother to be gentle as he helped to haul Baekhyun out the bathroom and he made sure to knock his limbs into the door on their way out.  
 “You two are such good friends,” Baekhyun slurred loudly. “Really. You always help me!”  
 “Thanks, Baekhyun,” Jongdae chuckled. “We’d usually get Chanyeol to do it.”  
 “You two make such a good couple – “

At that moment Minseok released his hold around Baekhyun and he fell over onto his front and passed out again.  
 “What a drunkard,” Minseok muttered. “Let’s just leave him in the corner.”  
 “I agree,” Jongdae said.

So they deposited Baekhyun somewhere safe and went to re-join their friends at their table. Time passed without Minseok’s recollection, as his mind was reeling over Jongdae’s reaction, and he soon found himself in the midst of a drinking game. He didn’t really know what was going on, only that truth or dare was somehow involved, and Sehun was suddenly shouting something about daring Jongdae to kiss Minseok. The alcohol had gone to his head so he was slow in processing what was happening when Jongdae came around the table and stood beside his chair. He bent down to be on eye-level with Minseok and panic suddenly seized his body. He was close enough to see that the whiskers had smudged off Jongdae’s face but also to see just how long and pretty his eyelashes were.

 “Kiss! Kiss!” Sehun chanted, banging his fists on the table and Junmyeon had to shush him. There were times were Minseok’s body acted involuntarily when around Jongdae, and now it betrayed him again by making him flinch backwards in his chair. Something that looked like a mixture of disappointment and hurt flashed over Jongdae’s face and Minseok felt a stab of regret.  
 “I wasn’t going to kiss you,” he said quietly. He merely kissed his finger tips and pressed them against Minseok’s cheek before quickly returning to his chair and Minseok wanted to scream.

Sehun whined loudly about cheating but Minseok hardly paid attention to the game after that. He just accepted drinks as they were handed to him because now he had royally messed up. He had basically rejected Jongdae, in front of everyone in the most rude way possible, and he had also given the fleeting impression that he had a thing with Sehun. Jongdae also remained a bit subdued for the remainder of the night though he drank far more than Minseok.

It was nearing midnight when it was finally time to leave and Minseok was glad to get out. He just wanted to go home and crawl into bed but he realised that he was actually a bit too drunk to drive everyone home. Junmyeon called a taxi for them but it would be a bit of a hassle to make three separate stops so Minseok just told the taxi driver to take them to his place as it was the closest. He and Jongdae sat in the back with Baekhyun sprawled out between them. At one point he woke up and became annoyingly clingy, something that Minseok and Jongdae ordinarily would have indulged, but in their states of awkward annoyance neither of them were in the mood for Baekhyun’s antics. So to restrain him Jongdae unravelled his bandages to instead bind his arms to his sides to keep him still. He was too drunk to struggle.

Once at the building it took a lot of effort to drag him up to Minseok’s apartment. He tried to call Chanyeol three times to tell him to come fetch his boyfriend but he wasn’t answering his phone and Minseok supposed that he had gone to bed in his state of sulking. Baekhyun really was like a mummy straight out of a casket as they dragged him inside and laid him down in the entranceway.

 “Do you want me to call you a taxi?” Minseok said, his voice sounding more miserable than intended. Jongdae looked at him for a while and tilted his head to the side.  
 “Is something wrong, Minseok?” he asked. Minseok opened his mouth to say that yes, something was indeed wrong because it had been years and they were still not a couple. He had screwed up twice in one night in terms of trying to send Jongdae signals that he was interested so everything was wrong at the moment. But Minseok could not muster the courage to say any of these things so he merely shook his head.

 “I’m just tired…I’m not getting rid of you, if that’s what you think,” he said. “I just guessed that you don’t want to stay here.”  
 “I don’t mind,” Jongdae said quickly and then he bit his lip.  
Minseok was sick of the awkwardness between them but he still knew that he wasn’t going to be the one to make the first move so he merely nodded.  
 “Make yourself comfortable,” he said before turning to skulk off to his bedroom to finally rid himself of his sad excuse for a cat costume.  

Minseok groaned at the sight of his messy bedroom when he turned on the light. In his haste to leave and pick up Jongdae he had forgotten to clean up the discarded clothes from the bed.  
 “Minseok, is it alright if I borrow some face wash?” Jongdae shouted from the living room.  
 “Go ahead,” he replied without bothering to keep the dull tone out of his voice. He heard the door closing and he sighed as he thought of his failure at the party. While Jongdae now seemed blissfully ignorant and a little bit drunk, Minseok was miserable and slightly less drunk. He wondered if he would ever muster the courage to even attempt showing Jongdae that he was interested in him. He sighed sadly to himself as he shrugged off his pants and gathered the other abandoned pants on the bed to put away in the cupboard. Perhaps he had imagined that Jongdae was hurt by the whole kissing thing. Perhaps he just wanted him to like him so badly that he was imagining things.

He thought of the incident and pressed his forehead against the cupboard door with a deep sigh.

 “Minseok, I found someone’s lighter in my pocket,” Jongdae said with a laugh as he suddenly strolled into the room. Minseok even heard his feet stumble on the carpet and the small gasp that escaped him and he froze in horror because he was only wearing his shirt, underwear, and the remnants of his cat costume. He had actually forgotten about the thigh high socks completely until that moment.

For a second Minseok thought about taking a running jump to throw himself out the window but it was unfortunately closed. He bit his lip and slowly turned around to see Jongdae gaping in shock, his eyes fixated on Minseok’s legs. As he moved the bell at his neck tinkled and pierced the silence. Jongdae had abandoned his cat ears and bow tie and had washed the cat makeup off his face. The wet tendrils of his fringe hung over his forehead in a way that made Minseok’s heart flutter.

 “This is the costume Baekhyun got me,” Minseok said and to his surprise he did not stutter over his words. The way that Jongdae stared at him made him feel as though his heart would burst out of his chest, but it also caused a strange electric current to surge through his body, alighting every one of his nerves and sobering him up very quickly. The hem of the purple silk shirt just covered his briefs but he reached to tug it down in the front slightly and Jongdae’s eyes followed his movements. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk’s and it only made Minseok’s heart flutter even more.

 “Oh,” Jongdae finally said. His Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed. Minseok toyed with the hem of his shirt for a moment, very aware that Jongdae could not stop his eyes from darting to his movements.  
 “Yeah, so this is what I meant when I said he messed up,” he said slowly and he cast his eyes down to glance at his socked legs.  
 “It suits you, Minseok.”

Jongdae’s sudden words and the intensity of his gaze made Minseok blush. But it was different this time – different from all the other times he’d felt flustered. Instead of blushing out of embarrassment he seemed to be blushing out of a surge of pleasure. Something about the way Jongdae looked at him made him feel different. It was like when he used to flirt with people in the past and he knew that he had a hold over them. He knew that at that moment he had every fibre of Jongdae’s undivided attention and he relished in it.

He took a careful step towards him and he noticed how he nearly flinched. Whether it was the alcohol or the sudden adrenaline from being in such a position, scantily dressed in no less than thigh high socks, a choker, and cat ears with Jongdae’s eyes fixated on him, Minseok felt himself abandon all his inhibitions. He had seen himself in the mirror whilst getting ready and he knew he looked damn good. The shirt nearly covered his briefs yet the silken material clung to his body in a teasing way and he knew it. He did not need a skin-tight sexy costume to entice Jongdae for the evening because the current situation seemed to be working just fine.

 “Really, Jongdae?” he asked quietly. “Do you like it?”  
Jongdae was at a loss for words as Minseok approached him and the bell tinkled again in the heavy silence. He stood before Jongdae and looked into his eyes, dark and heavy and entirely focused on him.  
 “Y – yes,” Jongdae murmured hesitantly. Minseok smiled at his words, an earnest yet flirtatious smile in the tilt of the right side of his mouth and the sight made Jongdae swallow again.

But then for a moment Minseok wondered if perhaps he was being too forward and if he was pushing Jongdae so he took a step back and his smile disappeared. He mistook his expression for one of nervousness and hesitance and the last thing he wanted was to make Jongdae uncomfortable.  
 “You’re not into this, are you?” he asked, and his courage wavered for a moment and threatened to leave him. Insecurity threatened his flirtatious demeanour and he was about to leave in case he was stepping out of line. Without warning Jongdae grabbed onto his arms in an almost desperate way as if to stop Minseok from turning away.  
 “No, no – I – I like this a lot, Minseok. I like _you_ , Minseok,” he spluttered, a blush spreading across his cheeks. He suddenly furrowed his brows for a moment and it was an expression Minseok associated with childish impatience.  
 “I – oh, God – may I kiss you? I really like you! I’ve liked you for a while now and I wanted to say something all night but I was too scared – and you kept hanging around Sehun so I thought – “

Minseok stepped forward and kissed Jongdae, effectively shutting him up and eliciting a sound of surprise from him. He just pressed their lips together for a sweet moment and pulled away, smiling up at him and it felt like his heart was going to burst.  
 “Me and Sehun? In what world, Jongdae? I’ve liked you for _ages_ , you know.”

Jongdae was dumbstruck but Minseok felt elated. He almost felt light-headed as he leaned forward for another kiss, this time putting his arms around Jongdae’s shoulders and pulling himself even closer. Jongdae moved his hands from his arms down to his waist and held him tightly. The feeling of his fingertips through the thin silk shirt made Minseok bite down on his lip, causing him to moan softly, and his electric courage and confidence returned. Before Jongdae could attempt to deepen the kiss Minseok pulled away. He grinned at his pout of annoyance and the sight of his very red lips.

 “Kiss me,” he whined as he leaned forward again, but Minseok put his hands on his chest and gently pushed him back. He smiled and tilted his head to the side coyly.  
 “So you like this outfit on me?” he asked. He flicked a finger against the bell and then trailed his fingers along his collar before stopping to pop open the top button. Although Jongdae was flushed there was no embarrassment in his dark eyes. Instead he saw unmistakable desire.  
 “Yes,” Jongdae breathed. “Did you wear those the whole night?” he asked, his eyes lowering to stare at the socks. His voice was slightly lower than normal and the sound of it made Minseok feel a rush and he nodded. Jongdae’s breathing quickened slightly, as did Minseok’s, and although they stood still with at least a foot between them he felt the pressure building in the air like an electric storm.

 “You know, I actually thought about wearing this in front of you. Wearing it _for_ you,” he said after a moment. It wasn’t entirely a lie even though it had been a rather embarrassing intrusive thought at the time, but Minseok’s words made Jongdae inhale deeply and he glanced away for a moment. Minseok stepped away from Jongdae and climbed onto his bed, making a bit of a show of it all the while as he trailed his fingers along the duvet. He was enjoying this immensely – it was almost criminal – and he had never expected such reactions from Jongdae. He sat up on his knees on the bed so that he was taller than Jongdae and looked down at him through his lashes for a moment before he turned around slightly to expose his backside.

 “Do you see the ribbons?” he asked as he trailed his fingers over the back of his thigh. “I don’t really like pink, but it’s pretty, isn’t it?” He bent forward ever so slightly and the hem of his shirt moved up and he heard Jongdae’s sharp intake of breath. Minseok could not control the grin on his face as he turned back around and beckoned for Jongdae to approach.

Jongdae practically marched over to him but he kept his hands at his sides even though he was evidently trying to keep his cool. Minseok could see how much effort it took to restrain himself and it brought him immense satisfaction. Minseok placed his hands on Jongdae’s shoulders and leaned down to kiss him. He pulled Jongdae’s hands onto his waist, finally giving him permission to touch, and he responded by kissing him back with such intensity that Minseok gasped. Jongdae’s hands pinched at his waist slightly before roaming down the small curve of his backside, his fingertips pressing down hard in the slightest groping motion before moving down to the skin of his bare thighs. He fiddled with the hem of the socks and twirled the ribbons around his fingers.

 “Hmm, very pretty,” Jongdae murmured against Minseok’s lips, his voice low and soft. The feeling of Jongdae’s wandering hands made Minseok press himself against him, impossibly close, and he let his own hands move beneath Jongdae’s t-shirt to feel at his hot skin. His breathing quickened and he felt even more light-headed from the rush of it all – from his burning confidence and Jongdae’s obvious interest and desire and the heated kissing and the barely restrained touching.

He did not ever think that it would come to this. He never thought that he would be kissing Jongdae – hungrily, impatiently – while pulling the t-shirt over his head. Jongdae’s hands fumbled with the buttons of Minseok’s shirt but he merely grinned and pulled his hands down along his abdomen and away from the buttons. He liked teasing him and seeing him pout because it only made him want to kiss him more.

 “You made me wait so long to kiss you,” Minseok murmured.  
 “You didn’t exactly make any moves,” Jongdae chuckled, kissing him again on the lips before moving to kiss his cheeks again and again and his hands squeezed Minseok’s thighs.  
 “I’m shy! Everyone – they said it was so – so obvious,” Minseok gasped, struggling to speak coherently. Jongdae only tightened the hold on his thighs, keeping Minseok held firmly against him.  
 “Hmm, you’re not shy now, are you?” he teased. His thumbs worked slow small circles into Minseok’s flesh while his other fingers edged closer towards his inner thighs.

Jongdae pulled away to catch his breath and he stared up into Minseok’s eyes. Jongdae’s gaze was so intense and full of unrestrained affection and desire. Ordinarily Minseok would have felt shy or embarrassed under such a gaze, but he was so pleased to be the object of such affection and want. His cheeks reddened at such pleasure and he smiled at Jongdae, and he practically glowed as he smiled back.

 “What the fuck?!”

Baekhyun’s shriek caused Minseok and Jongdae to jump though instead of springing apart Jongdae only pulled him closer as if to shield him from the sudden explosion of noise. Minseok suddenly remembered that they had abandoned Baekhyun in the entranceway and realised that he had probably just woken up to discover that he was completely immobilised by his own costume.

 “I forgot about him,” Jongdae admitted with a sheepish smile and Minseok laughed. He slowly removed his hands from Minseok’s thighs though with obvious regret and Minseok also wished that Baekhyun had remained in his drunken state of sleep for a few more hours.  
 “Let’s go help him. We can finish this later,” Minseok said with a lopsided smirk as he hopped off the bed. He quickly pulled on a pair of pyjama pants to spare Baekhyun from the sight of him in thigh high socks because that was reserved for Jongdae and Jongdae only, and Jongdae hastily put his t-shirt back on.

While they unravelled Baekhyun Minseok could not help but giggle at the situation. He had to get scissors before he started to panic and once he was free Minseok phoned Chanyeol to come collect him.

 “What happened while I was out?” Baekhyun asked slowly.  
 “We were about to hook up, actually,” Minseok said as he threw an arm around Jongdae. For a moment Baekhyun stared at them in silent horror, Jongdae mumbled something incoherent, and Minseok grinned slyly before Baekhyun jumped to his feet.  
 “FINALLY!” he cried. “Oh, it’s been agony watching you two!”  
 “Yes, yes, it looks like your man is outside so let’s not keep him waiting,” Jongdae said hastily as he shoved Baekhyun out the front door as Chanyeol’s car pulled up outside. Minseok heard Baekhyun waddling off and laughed at the situation, and then Jongdae pulled him into his arms and kissed him.

 “Now, I want to see those socks again,” Jongdae said with a smirk while he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of Minseok’s pants. Minseok smiled at him and placed his hands over his to encourage him.  
 “Anything for you, Jongdae,” he said.

**Author's Note:**

> Remember that CBX fanmeet where they had to play that sock game and Minseok wore white knee-length socks? Yeah I blame that for this. I also blame Abi (http://vampyixing.tumblr.com/) for creating the idea of aforementioned thigh highs, the choker, and the ears.  
> Also #justiceforpcy2018


End file.
